Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-18
Word to the Wise.

word to the Wise.
The spirit of speculation and sub
division which is consequent upon the
great demand created by the new
eomers, has had the effect of cutting
up and destroying some of the finest
bearing orchards and vineyards in
this section of the State. To the lover
Of the beautiful in nature, it is a sor-
rowful sight to see magnificent
orange grove neglected or cut down,
or splendid vineyard uprooted to
make place for building lots or site
for new town. Yet this is the un-
erring evidence of the march of inn
liroyement 1t is the inevitable in
practical progress. and sentiment is
eternally outraged in new countries
bv the changes and mutations that
come over places that are endeared to
the memory by tender and sometimes
holy associations. We have been on
this coast, say. some of us, for many
wears. We nurse the fond hope of
some day returning to our native vii
lage or city and renewing the feelings
of youth by again viewing the pleasant
places or the familiar streets so often
traversed "when our bosoms We're
yeung." We look forward to again
joining our old associates, and thread
ing the well-known paths where we
exchanged condolences and pictured
the future in glowing colors. The old
homestead, the old church, the old
school house. the old land marks, all
pass in panoramic review before our
minds eye, and like the Scottish sol
dier in far-off battlefield, our dream
carries us back to the scenes where
Sin life's morning march" we knew
1.-The green fields where the corn-reap-
ers sung" We at last return; but all
isehanged. The streets, the buildings,
every aforementioned spot has as
sumed new aspect. The school nor
the ch urch are no longer there, but in
their stead great business houses.
The quiet village itself has grown
into bustling city. There are banks
and stores where we used to know
pleasant homes. Even our own mod
est birthplace is gone, and everything
in mem ory holds no place in reality.
We look for the familiar faces. They,
too, have gone. Everything new.
Change is the presiding diety, and,
like Joseph, we find ourselves II
If the process Of mutation takes years
in the older East, in this newer lati-
tude it comes 50 quick and suddenly
that we can hardly realize it on any
reasonable principles. A few years ago,
the whole lower portion OF this city
was covered with orange groves and
vineyards. The vandal hand of pro-
press is now rapidly blotting them out.
Those that have not been cut down
Or uprooted have passed into the
hands of new people who have no sem
fimental ideas in connection with
them, and they have been so neglected
that they are either dying or being
pyerrun with weeds. We accept the
situati on; yet We cannot help feeling
Il touch of regret. But it seems to us
that it is little less than cruel 10 per-
nit those orchards and vineyards to
stand and yet to so neglect them that
they are to be seen dying for the very
want OF little care. The way the
progressive devastation is going on
here now it will be but a few years be-
fore our finest fruit places will have
given way to lumber and to bricks and
mortar. We do not complain of this.
As we said before, everything must
fall before the march of modern inn
provement. But as this work is going
pn everywhere over our whole section,
has it occurred to our people that the
result will be before long that our or
angc and grape production will be
very materially lessened? Whoever
will t4ke itiiis view OF the case will
come ID the correct conclusion, that
there lire great possibilities in resist
ing the temptation to cut up fine or
ange groves for the problematical
elrance OF erecting a successful town
site upon their uprooted ruins.
Nothing in this section is going to pay
better hereafter than orange trees that
are carefully cultivated. Even the
high price at which town lots are SELL
ing (Outside OF this city, will not reim-
burse a man for the loss of fine
grove of the gold-producing fruit.
We would therefore ask some OF our
pchardists to halt in their desire to
realize high prices at once. Let them
for n moment look forward to what
they will have as certain yearly in
come for an indefinite time, and when
they see that the yield in a few years
will give them better interest on
their acres than even the high prices
they can now get will justify, let them
cry halt, and say with US, ''oh, wood
man, spare that tree"
We make room to-day for several